Tassie Beaches Have Been Lit Up By Some Extremely ‘Avatar’-Looking Algae

By Matilda Douglas-Henry

14/03/2017

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There’s no doubt that Tasmania is a bloody spectacular part of our fair nation, and is responsible for some of the most visually stunning scenery you’ll ever see.

While it’s known for its lush rainforests, weird wildlife and freezing temperatures, locals and travellers alike got a shock on Saturday night when a special type of algae turned beaches on the north-west coast a fluorescent blue that gave the jaw-dropping spectacle of the Northern Lights a run for its money.

Near the town of Penguin (just more proof that Tas is cute as hell) some bioluminescent phytoplankton, also known as sea sparkle (nyyyyaaaawwwww) completely took over Preservation Bay; creating an explosively illuminated landscape that could make one’s jaw fall right off.

Even photographer Brett Chatwin, who’s been snapping this pocket of Tassie for a decade, had never seen anything like it:

“It was very interesting watching this iridescent aquamarine colour light up the waves as they crashed.

“It was as good as shooting the Aurora Borealis, but a bit easier”.

While Chatwin said it was difficult to capture the brilliance on a smartphone, and used his SLR instead, some punters still gave it a crack, and the result remains pretty bloody spectacular.